GOP Healthcare Bill Collapses, Full Repeal Could Be on the Way

Two more Republican Senators — Mike Lee of Utah and Jerry Moran of Kansas — have declared they will not vote for the new Senate healthcare bill, making passage of the measure impossible. This brings to an end a month’s long effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act with a Republican bill and comes after seven years of GOP commitments to repeal the law that has defined the party recently.

President Trump, walking back his campaign promise to repeal the Affordable Care Act and replace it “with something terrific,” tweeted Tuesday morning ““As I have always said, let ObamaCare fail and then come together and do a great healthcare plan. Stay tuned!”

As I have always said, let ObamaCare fail and then come together and do a great healthcare plan. Stay tuned!

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced plans to continue a procedural vote in the next few days anyway, although it is unlikely the resolution will pass. Both McConnell and Trump have committed to amend the bill to a pure replacement of the ACA, rather than a repeal and replace. At the same time, Moran and Lee join the other two Republican defectors, Susan Collins of Maine and Rand Paul of Kentucky, in calling for a complete redrawing of the bill, a process that could take months.

So, Congressional leadership is divided on how to proceed. The conservative wing of the Republican party wants to move forward and repeal the ACA while creating a multi-year timeline to create a replacement, which may also lack the votes needed to pass and is a very politically risky move. On the other hand, others in the GOP are calling for the unthinkable, working with Democrats to fix the insurance marketplaces, a move that would anger the more conservative members of Congress but would appease Democrats.

“This second failure of Trumpcare is proof positive that the core of this bill is unworkable,” said Minority Leader Charles Schumer of New York. “Rather than repeating the same failed, partisan process yet again, Republicans should start from scratch and work with Democrats on a bill that lowers premiums, provides long-term stability to the markets and improves our health-care system.”